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MLS Power Rankings (Week 7): Champs look ready to defend title

Timbers rally on the road to beat Sporting KC

Kansas City's 4-0 win against Montreal ran their unbeaten streak to five games and the defending MLS champions are now tied for first place in the Eastern Conference. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
(AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Few were concerned when defending champion Kansas City lost to Seattle in their regular season opening game. The few people that were concerned had no reason to be worried. Kansas City has sprinted off on a five-game unbeaten streak, a streak that includes games against Real Salt Lake, Dallas and San Jose. Kansas City just blasted Montreal 4-0, showing that they are capable of scoring goals and are not just a defensive-oriented team.

1. Kansas City (3) - Multiple goals in a game normally isn't their forte, but they hit the back of the net often and maintained a defensive mentality against free-falling Montreal. The result was a 4-0 spanking with center back Aurelein Collin having a hand in three of the goals.

2. Real Salt Lake (1) - A rivalry isn't really a rivalry unless BOTH teams win occasionally. So let's stop calling RSL-Portland a rivalry. RSL remained the league's only undefeated team after beating Portland again Saturday night, extending their unbeaten dominance to 11 consecutive games in the series.

3. Dallas (2) - This season's early candidate for the "Cardiac Kids" moniker. Game-winning goal in the 88th minute by Blas Perez completed come from behind win against Toronto. The score represented the ninth time they have scored a goal in the final 30 minutes of a game this season.

4. Seattle (6) - Obafemi Martins scored the game-winner against Chivas. Clint Dempsey assisted on the score, his second of the game and his sixth consecutive game of registering at least a point. Looks like Dempsey and Martins have found a groove and the Sounders are surging.

5. Los Angeles (5) - Usually, a draw on the road leaves the away team happy. But if the away team blows a one-goal lead twice in the game and concedes the equalizing goal in the 86th minute, then the road squad walks off the field with a bitter taste.

6. Columbus (8) - Their struggle to score goals continues after the 1-1 draw against D.C. United. They've hit the back of the net just once in the past two games after scoring a combined seven goals in the first three games of the season.

7. Colorado (4) - Young squad displayed plenty of patience in scoreless draw at home against San Jose. Facing a bunkered in San Jose team, the young'uns could've grown impatient, but they remained strong mentally and were happy with the draw.

8. Toronto (7) - When a team faces 16 corner kicks, it's almost inevitable that one of those kicks is going to result in a goal. The last corner by Dallas led to the game-winning goal and sent Toronto to its third loss in the last four games. A couple of caveats: Each of those losses have occurred on the road and without star striker Jermain Defoe, who is injured,

9. Vancouver (9) - The time may have come for coach Carl Robinson to play the youngsters. Nineteen-year-old Kekuta Mannah scored the equalizer in 2-2 draw against Los Angeles, but Erik Hurtado, Russell Teibert and Gershon Koffie need playing time. And all of them are really young and really fast.

10. Philadelphia (13) - Playing at home against offensively challenged Houston, the best they could do was a scoreless draw. The draw, their fourth in the past five games, did nothing but increase the level of frustration.

11. New York (14) - They'll feel less pressure in Wednesday's game against Houston after winning their first game of the season against Philadelphia last week. And they're quick to remind people that despite their current 1-2-4 record, they started with a 1-3-2 record before going on to win the Supporters Shield in 2013.

12. D.C. United (16) - Coach Ben Olsen and the players are still incensed by the decision of referee to issue just a yellow card instead of red to Chicago defender Giancarlo Gonzalez after he fouled forward Eddie Johnson - who had a clear goal-scoring opportunity - from behind. Gonzalez should've been red-carded and sent off.

13. Houston (10) - The draw against Philadelphia ended a three-game losing streak, but they're still waiting for an answer as to why defender Kofie Sarkodie was given his second yellow card for time-wasting.

14. New England (12) - Bobby Shuttleworth's name isn't going to mentioned as one of the league's best goalkeepers, but his 90th-minute saves of Juan Luis Anangono's penalty kick and the rebound follow by Jeff Larentowicz preserved a 1-1 draw against Chicago. …

15. Chicago (11) - … they don't want the two records reached after draw against the Revolution. Tied league record with sixth consecutive draw and set team record by going winless in the first seven games to start the regular season.

16. Chivas (15) - Was coach Wilmer Cabrera implying that the officiating is biased against his team after midfielder Marco Delgado was sent off in 2-1 loss to Seattle? "We don’t receive fair consideration from the refereeing,” Cabrera said.

17. Portland (17) - Have teams figured out Caleb Porter's offense? Just eight goals in the first seven games and one of those was an own goal by Dallas. Darlington Nagbe hasn't scored while Diego Valeri and Will Johnson have scored just one goal apiece.

18. San Jose (19) - Frustration and confusion surfacing amid franchise-worst start to the season. They abandoned their attacking offense and instead adopted a bunkered in and defensive approach in draw against Colorado. Forward Adam Jahn was given a straight red card after slamming into Jared Watts.

19. Montreal (18) - Their goal differential is MLS-high -8. Guess what? Their total of three points is tied for worst in the league.